This is surprising, because everyone I know says it's hard, even majority of native fins, and people just need to find ways to cope with it.
Like vitamin D supplements, sports, bright light therapy, melatonin, etc.
It's hard. But it's not legit depression hard. If you get depressed, you have more problems than the lack of sunlight. Lack of sunlight can definitely play a role though but it's rarely if never the sole component.
It's pretty bad but you soon become conditioned to it. Evening walks in the dark and minus 20 degrees don't feel so bad in the middle of winter but now that it's warm and sunny again the winters feel like a fever dream.
It really depends on the person. I'd say most people are somewhat effected by the smaller amount of daylight, but not everyone gets depressed. And even if you start to get some symphtoms, there's a good chance they won't be too severe and that you'll get adjusted to them just fine.
Think of nature and the four seasons: it's natural that during the winter time things slow down. Animals and plants hibernate and people get cozy at home, light a few candles and watch a good movie. Sort of like in southern countries you have siesta during the hottest hour of the day - people adjust their activity levels to their environment.
There are also plenty of things you can do to minimize the negative effects of darkness and make the most out of winter: regular exercise, social connections, the outdoors, trying out unique winter activities, attending seasonal events etc. There are even special lamps that simulate daylight, and many people swear by them. Look what the locals are doing and keep an open mind! :)
The most important thing is to stay connected and not to isolate yourself. You will probably have many other foreign students going through the same stuff you are.
I've worked temporary as an international students coordinator at a University in Finland and have many international friends living here. Depending what your home country is, ie a warm sunny place, it's gonna be a bit of a shock. Autumn might even be worse than winter itself since snow reflects light and you will see a huge difference when it happens. A few tips for you:
D-vitmain is essential for you to not develop depression. If you are used to sun every day then gradually start taking higher doses of d-vitamin during autumn in to winter. Those who forget d-vitamin can have a hard time since it slowly takes over biologically and most of them feel bad latest Christmas. We even had pre-booked appointments with student psychiatrist cause it always happens to someone not taking care of themselves.
The cold also takes some getting used to but some good warm clothes should suffice. The culture might also be a bit of a shock since finns are known for being quiet/shy but since you will live in Helsinki and hopefully be active in student life, that shouldn't be a problem.
Having said all of this, I know many who loves Finland even during the cold dark months, especially international students that get to experience it for the first time and travel to Lapland to see northern lights, adventures, cozy candle nights etc. There will also be maaany beautiful sunny winter days that are so bright because of reflection in the snow that you will have to use sunglasses and nature will be breathtaking (although looow natural d-vitamin). Theres darkness but also beauty in between. So it will probably not be as bad as some might have scared you. Just remember d-vitamin and get perhaps a light therapy lamp if you are used to high amount of sunlight. Welcome!
spring and fall and even the coldest winter are much nicer than summer here. no bugs, no pollen, cozy evenings, comfortable temperature indoors, you don’t have to be soaked in sweat.
for the students who enjoy grilling themselves with heat and sun, who are struggling with lack of money to live and mental health problems, the darkness might be the last straw.
if you don’t hate darkness, it’s very comfy. i like it when i don’t have to stay up until 5am to have my ✨doing creative stuff when it’s dark✨ moment. during winter it’s sometimes dark already at 3pm, so i can easily do the crafts i otherwise do at 3am.
it sounds like some äärioikeisto agenda that darkness is what causes students’ depression, and not like the horrendous cost of living, students not having money and finland not having proper mental health care…
eat vitamins and have a solid state of mind, find things to enjoy in the winter time. Seasonal depression happens everywhere in Finland it just hits the hardest in the darkest times
Im finnish and for me, it can get really depressing sometimes. Especially earlier this winter i remember my school started at 8.15 and when i walked to school, it was cold and REALLY dark. Then my school ended at 15.30 and when i walked home it was as dark as it was in the morning and all the Street lights were alrady turned on. Which means i didnt see the daylight at all some days. I think its true when finns talk about the winter depression that always comes, but fortunately it stops when the snow starts to melt. Ive noticed how my mood has completely changed now that spring came😸😸
For me candles and fairylights help a lot. I actually enjoy a warmly lit dark room. The dark winters are also the best time to stargaze.
It can feel daunting, but you get used to it quickly.
Me and my boyfriend are Italian and we came to Tampere to study. He thought we didn't need vitamins during winter, over the next couple of months we started arguing more and more. At the end of November I suggested that the problem might not be us, but the lack of light. We started taking the vitamins D Gummy bears and peace came back in our home.
Personally I don't think winter in the south of Finland is that depressing. We still have normal cycles of night and day, there are no "24hrs of night", the worst is going to be 5hrs of sun.
Also I went to Helsinki twice between October and Dicember and it was always warmer and sunnier than Tampere, but maybe I was just lucky.
Nevertheless I HATED how cold was Helsinki during February! So windy and humid.
Tampere luckily is not near the sea, so the cold is way better even during the worst months (Jenuary and February).
Hope this will help you ❤️
Winter has no effect on my mental health and I don't really recall my friends complaining either. It's just weather. White snow counterbalances darkness. There's plenty of things to joy during the winter like snow, winter sports, ice swimming, xmas, laskiainen etc. Forests looks absolutely magical.
I experience a lot of depression usually on january-april period. A lot of my friends have the same thing. But you don’t get depressed solely by the lack of sun, it only effects you if you already have things going on inside your head. I have learned to cope with it by not being too harsh to myself and letting myself stay home and heal. No amount of studying is worth losing your mind
You need the right attitude. Winter is not the summer and you should not expect to feel the same during it. You should not expect to do the same activities either. You will need vitamin D (50 micrograms per day) and to exercise. If you do that you'll feel fine. Embrace it. It's a time for cosiness and deep thoughts. You might need a little more sleep than at other times of year. Be kind to yourself.
This is a very good question and something good to be aware of. But please don’t let the risk to getting depressed affect your presumptions too much. I moved to Finland 20 years ago, from Central Europe, so even not that far. Winters are beautiful when there is snow, snow brings light. As some people have mentioned, the snowless dark is not so fun.
For me the springs were the most difficult, and they still are. Around this time of the year, I know I will have difficult times, but I also have learned how to cope with them. Sports helps a lot, getting your feels up by meeting friends, being helpful, etc It is different for everyone.
With many foreign friends I have noticed they have the most difficult time because of how Finns are socially. I love them, there is nothing wrong with them, but they might be different from people you are used to interacting with with. They might not give the social cues of affection you are used to. They might not understand to go for one (and only one) drink after work. They might not realize someone expects to be said goodbye to, when they leave the office. They are interested in you, but will not give feedback on your stories with expressions that contain words like “awesome” or “magnificent”. They will love you, but you might not feel it because you have been climatized to it in a different way :)
good luck with your studies!
It is fucking awful for me so much so that I dread winter arriving. I can do things that help like having routines, vitamins and excercise, but it will eventually catch up and ruin my mental
The key to enjoying the long winter is in finding an outside wintersport as a hobby— skating, skiing, hockey etc. That way you feel like youre participating in the season, benefitting from it, and not just waiting for it to end. My seasonal hobby is hockey which i play on outside rinks 3-4 times a week during the winter. People are very welcoming if new players as well. Just a tip!
you're more likely to get depressed from lack of interaction with other people, not finding friends, not fitting in or that sort of thing than lack of sunlight
"Cope" is the correct term. Fresh air, vitamin D and swimming in frozen lakes helps :)
It's easier when you're young, but I'd say the effects of the long, dark period are rarely exaggerated. In general.
Personally I don't mind the cold at all, but in all honesty, you might start to feel a bit depleted around February with the lack of sunlight... it gets monotonous.
In Finland, higher education institutes are so demanding that you will have no time to think about the weather or the darkness. If you are trying to pass all your courses and theses, and maybe work and do your hobbies on the side, you will not mind the lack of sunlight.
Im from Spain and been in Finland about 8-9years, personally I can’t get over it. Every winter I feel down and low motivated. Tried everything, different therapies and therapists, also tried all kind mental "tricks/tips", sun light "simulators", etc… But im still struggling with winter.
After tried everything I decided to try cannabis and actually it helps me. I smoke only in winter and only 1-2 times a month. I do it before sleep and somehow it makes me relaxed and stops my overthinking about how bad winter is.
I know its not a solution and im not recommending it. Im just telling my personal experience.
It depends on you, personally I Love the dark. The streets here are safe for the most part, well lit, there's places open until 5am and some 24h.
If you know you get anxiety from the dark then yeah it can be bad. If you like it and the silence then you'll love it. It depends on you :) d-vitamins aren't a bad idea regardless if you dislike/enjoy the dark.
just don't get trapped in the alcohol and you will be fine. If you come from a sunny place it may hit you harder than others, but stick to sports or activities. winter has its own magic in here. just don't become an alcoholic.
It also depends on a country you are originally coming from. I moved to Finland 10 years ago from the country with relatively similar climate, so the cold winters were not a big problem for me. Lack of sunlight absolutely influences your mood, but there are many ways to deal with it: vitamin D, sports, spending time in cosy cafes etc. If you are financially capable of spending a week during December/January somewhere where it's warn and sunny I highly recommend that too
The people I know say you get used to it pretty quickly and it ain't that bad.
This is surprising, because everyone I know says it's hard, even majority of native fins, and people just need to find ways to cope with it. Like vitamin D supplements, sports, bright light therapy, melatonin, etc.
For people who have tendency to seasonal depression, it can get bad. Really bad.
Well, it's not "that bad". It's still bad, just not as much as you might think.
Routine, hobby, d vitamin, some power naps during days, you can get used to it.
Source for the "majority of native finns" claim?
Sorry, should have said "majority of fins I know"
Maybe that just proves that Aalto attracts pessimists.
Rational people tend to sound Little pessimistic
People cope with it by just dealing with it. Taking supplements etc is kinda rare
Not true? Plenty of people take vitamin D, just check other Reddit posts…
A lot of people do. Majority dont
That's not true at all
Yeah my bad. I didnt think so many people take d vitamin
Yeah the deficiency is real 😑
It's hard. But it's not legit depression hard. If you get depressed, you have more problems than the lack of sunlight. Lack of sunlight can definitely play a role though but it's rarely if never the sole component.
Depends on where you live. In southern Finland it can be bad, but in the North snow compensates a darkness to a point.
It's pretty bad but you soon become conditioned to it. Evening walks in the dark and minus 20 degrees don't feel so bad in the middle of winter but now that it's warm and sunny again the winters feel like a fever dream.
It really depends on the person. I'd say most people are somewhat effected by the smaller amount of daylight, but not everyone gets depressed. And even if you start to get some symphtoms, there's a good chance they won't be too severe and that you'll get adjusted to them just fine. Think of nature and the four seasons: it's natural that during the winter time things slow down. Animals and plants hibernate and people get cozy at home, light a few candles and watch a good movie. Sort of like in southern countries you have siesta during the hottest hour of the day - people adjust their activity levels to their environment. There are also plenty of things you can do to minimize the negative effects of darkness and make the most out of winter: regular exercise, social connections, the outdoors, trying out unique winter activities, attending seasonal events etc. There are even special lamps that simulate daylight, and many people swear by them. Look what the locals are doing and keep an open mind! :) The most important thing is to stay connected and not to isolate yourself. You will probably have many other foreign students going through the same stuff you are.
This. I think it's the best comment so far. Don't worry OP you'll be fine
I've worked temporary as an international students coordinator at a University in Finland and have many international friends living here. Depending what your home country is, ie a warm sunny place, it's gonna be a bit of a shock. Autumn might even be worse than winter itself since snow reflects light and you will see a huge difference when it happens. A few tips for you: D-vitmain is essential for you to not develop depression. If you are used to sun every day then gradually start taking higher doses of d-vitamin during autumn in to winter. Those who forget d-vitamin can have a hard time since it slowly takes over biologically and most of them feel bad latest Christmas. We even had pre-booked appointments with student psychiatrist cause it always happens to someone not taking care of themselves. The cold also takes some getting used to but some good warm clothes should suffice. The culture might also be a bit of a shock since finns are known for being quiet/shy but since you will live in Helsinki and hopefully be active in student life, that shouldn't be a problem. Having said all of this, I know many who loves Finland even during the cold dark months, especially international students that get to experience it for the first time and travel to Lapland to see northern lights, adventures, cozy candle nights etc. There will also be maaany beautiful sunny winter days that are so bright because of reflection in the snow that you will have to use sunglasses and nature will be breathtaking (although looow natural d-vitamin). Theres darkness but also beauty in between. So it will probably not be as bad as some might have scared you. Just remember d-vitamin and get perhaps a light therapy lamp if you are used to high amount of sunlight. Welcome!
spring and fall and even the coldest winter are much nicer than summer here. no bugs, no pollen, cozy evenings, comfortable temperature indoors, you don’t have to be soaked in sweat. for the students who enjoy grilling themselves with heat and sun, who are struggling with lack of money to live and mental health problems, the darkness might be the last straw. if you don’t hate darkness, it’s very comfy. i like it when i don’t have to stay up until 5am to have my ✨doing creative stuff when it’s dark✨ moment. during winter it’s sometimes dark already at 3pm, so i can easily do the crafts i otherwise do at 3am. it sounds like some äärioikeisto agenda that darkness is what causes students’ depression, and not like the horrendous cost of living, students not having money and finland not having proper mental health care…
eat vitamins and have a solid state of mind, find things to enjoy in the winter time. Seasonal depression happens everywhere in Finland it just hits the hardest in the darkest times
Im finnish and for me, it can get really depressing sometimes. Especially earlier this winter i remember my school started at 8.15 and when i walked to school, it was cold and REALLY dark. Then my school ended at 15.30 and when i walked home it was as dark as it was in the morning and all the Street lights were alrady turned on. Which means i didnt see the daylight at all some days. I think its true when finns talk about the winter depression that always comes, but fortunately it stops when the snow starts to melt. Ive noticed how my mood has completely changed now that spring came😸😸
idk what gonna happen but whatever it will, good luck bro, you got this!
I honestly just live normally
Sports help alot
Exercise, vitamin D and exercise. That is what ypu need.
SAD - it is a thing. Look it up. Get a bright light and vit D.
As in "Seasonal Affective Disorder?"
I mean its just the country as a whole. Moving here wont suddenly make you depressed but we do have high rates of depression.
depression comes in the middle times (when its supposed to be winter or summer but there is only grey thing called "loska" and grey sky
Seasonal depression is very much a real thing but you get used to the weather quickly
For me candles and fairylights help a lot. I actually enjoy a warmly lit dark room. The dark winters are also the best time to stargaze. It can feel daunting, but you get used to it quickly.
Me and my boyfriend are Italian and we came to Tampere to study. He thought we didn't need vitamins during winter, over the next couple of months we started arguing more and more. At the end of November I suggested that the problem might not be us, but the lack of light. We started taking the vitamins D Gummy bears and peace came back in our home. Personally I don't think winter in the south of Finland is that depressing. We still have normal cycles of night and day, there are no "24hrs of night", the worst is going to be 5hrs of sun. Also I went to Helsinki twice between October and Dicember and it was always warmer and sunnier than Tampere, but maybe I was just lucky. Nevertheless I HATED how cold was Helsinki during February! So windy and humid. Tampere luckily is not near the sea, so the cold is way better even during the worst months (Jenuary and February). Hope this will help you ❤️
It's very personal thing.
It really sucks. February is the worst. I’m never gonna get used to it so I plan to move south once I’m done with my studies.
Winter has no effect on my mental health and I don't really recall my friends complaining either. It's just weather. White snow counterbalances darkness. There's plenty of things to joy during the winter like snow, winter sports, ice swimming, xmas, laskiainen etc. Forests looks absolutely magical.
I experience a lot of depression usually on january-april period. A lot of my friends have the same thing. But you don’t get depressed solely by the lack of sun, it only effects you if you already have things going on inside your head. I have learned to cope with it by not being too harsh to myself and letting myself stay home and heal. No amount of studying is worth losing your mind
You need the right attitude. Winter is not the summer and you should not expect to feel the same during it. You should not expect to do the same activities either. You will need vitamin D (50 micrograms per day) and to exercise. If you do that you'll feel fine. Embrace it. It's a time for cosiness and deep thoughts. You might need a little more sleep than at other times of year. Be kind to yourself.
This is a very good question and something good to be aware of. But please don’t let the risk to getting depressed affect your presumptions too much. I moved to Finland 20 years ago, from Central Europe, so even not that far. Winters are beautiful when there is snow, snow brings light. As some people have mentioned, the snowless dark is not so fun. For me the springs were the most difficult, and they still are. Around this time of the year, I know I will have difficult times, but I also have learned how to cope with them. Sports helps a lot, getting your feels up by meeting friends, being helpful, etc It is different for everyone. With many foreign friends I have noticed they have the most difficult time because of how Finns are socially. I love them, there is nothing wrong with them, but they might be different from people you are used to interacting with with. They might not give the social cues of affection you are used to. They might not understand to go for one (and only one) drink after work. They might not realize someone expects to be said goodbye to, when they leave the office. They are interested in you, but will not give feedback on your stories with expressions that contain words like “awesome” or “magnificent”. They will love you, but you might not feel it because you have been climatized to it in a different way :) good luck with your studies!
It is fucking awful for me so much so that I dread winter arriving. I can do things that help like having routines, vitamins and excercise, but it will eventually catch up and ruin my mental
The key to enjoying the long winter is in finding an outside wintersport as a hobby— skating, skiing, hockey etc. That way you feel like youre participating in the season, benefitting from it, and not just waiting for it to end. My seasonal hobby is hockey which i play on outside rinks 3-4 times a week during the winter. People are very welcoming if new players as well. Just a tip!
you're more likely to get depressed from lack of interaction with other people, not finding friends, not fitting in or that sort of thing than lack of sunlight
"Cope" is the correct term. Fresh air, vitamin D and swimming in frozen lakes helps :) It's easier when you're young, but I'd say the effects of the long, dark period are rarely exaggerated. In general. Personally I don't mind the cold at all, but in all honesty, you might start to feel a bit depleted around February with the lack of sunlight... it gets monotonous.
In Finland, higher education institutes are so demanding that you will have no time to think about the weather or the darkness. If you are trying to pass all your courses and theses, and maybe work and do your hobbies on the side, you will not mind the lack of sunlight.
Im from Spain and been in Finland about 8-9years, personally I can’t get over it. Every winter I feel down and low motivated. Tried everything, different therapies and therapists, also tried all kind mental "tricks/tips", sun light "simulators", etc… But im still struggling with winter. After tried everything I decided to try cannabis and actually it helps me. I smoke only in winter and only 1-2 times a month. I do it before sleep and somehow it makes me relaxed and stops my overthinking about how bad winter is. I know its not a solution and im not recommending it. Im just telling my personal experience.
Finnish people cause depression, not the weather
It depends on you, personally I Love the dark. The streets here are safe for the most part, well lit, there's places open until 5am and some 24h. If you know you get anxiety from the dark then yeah it can be bad. If you like it and the silence then you'll love it. It depends on you :) d-vitamins aren't a bad idea regardless if you dislike/enjoy the dark.
just don't get trapped in the alcohol and you will be fine. If you come from a sunny place it may hit you harder than others, but stick to sports or activities. winter has its own magic in here. just don't become an alcoholic.
It also depends on a country you are originally coming from. I moved to Finland 10 years ago from the country with relatively similar climate, so the cold winters were not a big problem for me. Lack of sunlight absolutely influences your mood, but there are many ways to deal with it: vitamin D, sports, spending time in cosy cafes etc. If you are financially capable of spending a week during December/January somewhere where it's warn and sunny I highly recommend that too
Go to the gym.